Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2013 - 42

illustration-Ron Kuhn

A Link to the Past
by Ron Kuhn

The young man stood over a fire cooking a fish that he
had never seen before, but hoped it would nourish his
body. As a child, he had gigged suckers and harvested
freshwater mussels and crayfish in the smaller Pennsylvania
tributaries where he had grown up. The waves crashed
over the eastern side of the small, unnamed island, forcing
him to forage the western waters for whatever he could
find for himself and what was left of his small group. Small
underbrush on the island provided wood to whittle for a
gig to work the shallows for fish that were slow enough for
him to harvest. As he walked over the white, sandy bottom
of the salty water, he thought about home and the
abundant supply of fresh water. He would trade just
about anything for it to be in his canteen. The little dot in
the Pacific lay placid and quiet as other battles raged on
the larger islands caught between his homeland and Japan.
The Army-issued knife served him well in battle as well as
his Pennsylvania knowledge on how to survive in situations
by looking for food.
Ethan Carter stared at the sheathed knife on the shelf of his
uncle's workbench while he sanded a handle for a new gig he
made from round stock and his uncle's welder. Uncle Gene
noticed the young boy staring at the knife. He said, "Ever
seen that knife?" Ethan shook his head no. The old knife
was pulled from the sheath for the first time in years. Ethan
admired the years of use that had left its mark on the blade
and the handle as he held the piece of history in his hands.

The rest of that cool, October afternoon was spent looking
through items from great grandfather's time in the South Pacific
over 70 years ago. Faded black and white photos of a young man
posing alongside old military vehicles and airplanes along with
photos with large fish after the war. Large caliber machine gun
shells, several medals and an old pair of leather boots came to
light from the old cedar chest as the day went on. Fishing and
war stories were passed down from one generation to another,
and Ethan marveled at the thought of catching foreign species of
fish with a spear.
Autumn made way to the snowy, windswept landscape
of winter, and Ethan continued thinking about his greatgrandfather wading through the foreign salty water looking for
fish to gig, so he could feed his military brothers. For a number
of winter evenings leading up to the holidays, Ethan wove his
father a new fishing net as a gift.
Several generations of Carters relied on the water for their
livelihood and even their lives. They were thankful for what
they could give back when they could. Every spring, the
Carter family waded the local streams removing everything
from tires to trash.
One morning, Ethan awoke to wander downstairs to a tree
with several wrapped gifts under it. One by one, the boy opened
his gifts. The last one was a small, rectangular box. Ethan pulled
the green paper from the outside of the box and removed the
lid to find an old, familiar knife. The family heirloom had
found its way to the next thankful Carter generation.

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2013

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